Netflix Is Making A Whole Universe of Roald Dahl Animated Series

Netflix has conquered the world; now they’re moving on to dominating the universe. Or at least the idea of cinematic universes.

The streaming giant announced today via press release that they are turning the stories of Roald Dahl — including children’s classics like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and The BFG — into a whole slew of “original animated event series.”

Roald Dahl stories have long inspired award-winning feature films and stage productions. But now, for the first time, Netflix will bring together the highest quality creative, visual, and writing teams to extend the stories in this first-of-its-kind slate of premium animated event series and specials for audiences of all ages and for families to enjoy together. Netflix intends to remain faithful to the quintessential spirit and tone of Dahl while also building out an imaginative story universe that expands far beyond the pages of the books themselves.

So these shows will adapt and sequelize the books you love. The press release doesn’t explicitly say it, but they strongly suggest there could be a crossover in the offing too; so that, say, the BFG could go take a tour of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. (The word “universe” is used several times in the press release, and that generally only means interconnected properties in Hollywood lingo.) Per Netflix the Dahl stories that are included under the agreement are Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, The Twits, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, George’s Marvellous Medicine, Boy – Tales of Childhood, Going Solo, The Enormous Crocodile, The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me, Henry Sugar, Billy and the Minpins, The Magic Finger, Esio Trot, Dirty Beasts, and Rhyme Stew.

Even if the Dahl characters (the Wonkaverse?) don’t interact or crossover, this is another huge property in Netflix’s ever-expanding stable of characters and brands. Production on these series is expected to begin next year.